


We Need A Montage

by rmc28



Category: X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: F/F, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Oblivious, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-14
Updated: 2013-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-23 12:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/926189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmc28/pseuds/rmc28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storm leads a training programme for Rogue to learn more about her ability to absorb other people's powers.  What could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Need A Montage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mazeem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazeem/gifts).



> Starts directly after _Deadly Reunions_ (Series 1, Episode 4) and finishes some time before _Days of Future Past_ (Series 1, Episodes 11  & 12). I was especially struck by the difference in Rogue's control between _Deadly Reunions_ and _The Unstoppable Juggernaut_ and wondered how it might have come about.

"I would like to make a training suggestion," said Storm, as the team's discussion of Magneto's attack on the chemical plant wound down. 

"Rogue's temporary absorption of Cyclops's powers was nearly disastrous," she said, unable to avoid seeing Rogue's guilty flinch. "But imagine if she had had some practice with the energy blasts. She could have used them effectively to help the fight against Magneto. It would have been very useful." She noted Rogue relaxing again. "In addition, she was able to prevent Wolverine from rushing back to a hopeless fight against Sentinels by absorbing enough of his energy to send him to sleep. This too seems like a useful skill that should be cultivated."

Cyclops spoke up. "What are you suggesting, Storm? That we take it in turns to let Rogue absorb our powers and then try to teach her to use them? That could be dangerous. I can't ask the team to do that!"

"Wouldn't do it if you did," muttered Wolverine.

"We can't work as a team if you only follow the orders you like, Wolverine," said Cyclops, instantly bristling.

Storm sighed, as the usual argument threatened to break out. "Cyclops, Rogue only took your powers because she was saving your life. You did not take harm from it." She was pleased to see Cyclops nod reluctantly. "I wish Dr McCoy were here," she continued. "He would be good at designing the research we should do." 

They all took a moment to reflect on how much Beast was missed, stuck in his prison cell and awaiting his trial. 

"But to start with, I think we could establish basic parameters: are powers absorbed instantly or does it take a few seconds? How many? How many seconds sends someone to sleep? How long do they take to recover? Then we will know the limits of what we can train with."

"I still don't like it," said Cyclops. "I won't order anyone to do it."

"Of course not," said Storm. "You will need volunteers. I am happy to be the first one."

"You sure about that, sugar?" said Rogue. Storm met her eyes, seeing Rogue torn between interest and concern.

"Of course I am my dear. I trust you," she replied firmly.

"That's settled then," said Cyclops. "Rogue, Storm: start your training investigation together, and let us know what you find out. Any other member of the X-Men who wants to teach Rogue their own powers may volunteer to join you when they wish." He paused and looked around the room. "Any other items for discussion? No? Then time to break up this meeting." 

Jubilee practically ran out of the room, with Wolverine slouching along at good speed behind her. Cyclops delayed Storm with a touch on the arm. "You could visit Hank in prison and run the idea past him, get his help on the research? I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"Thank you Cyclops, that is an excellent idea," Storm responded. She turned to catch Rogue's eye, where the other woman was waiting near the door. "How do you feel about a prison visit today, Rogue?"

Rogue grinned. "Don't mind if I do, even if we are being respectable about it."

 

====

 

Beast was predictably enthused about the idea, and before long had a whole test programme written out for them. As the two women drove back to the school, Storm couldn't help noticing that Rogue had gone quiet again.

"What is it, my friend?" she asked.

"What if I hurt you, Ororo?" said Rogue, just loud enough to be heard. "I don't think I can bear it if I do."

"As I told you before, Rogue, I trust you. You will do me no harm. You did none to Cyclops or Wolverine, and this will be a more controlled situation."

Rogue tried to smile but stayed quiet for the rest of the journey. When they arrived back, Storm caught her hand and headed into the grounds of the mansion, towards some open ground away from any walls or trees.

"Where we going, sugar?"

"Let us begin our research. Here there is plenty of space if you find yourself unexpectedly making a snowstorm or a lightning strike. While I can control a whirlwind indoors, it is an advanced skill and not one I would wish to start with." She grinned at Rogue and then seated herself on the grass. Rogue sat down by her, looking apprehensive.

"Let us begin with the first test on Beast's admirably thorough list. How many seconds before you start absorbing my power?" Storm held out an ungloved hand. Rogue rolled her eyes, but did peel off one glove and lay the exposed hand over Storm's offered one. Storm counted slowly.

"One second. Two seconds. Three ..."

"I feel something!" gasped Rogue, dropping her hand away. "The rain! And the places where lightning will come! The movement of the air. How do you concentrate on anything when you can feel all this? What happens if I ..." 

Her words were drowned out by a sudden clap of thunder, followed by heavy rain crashing down on both women, soaking them in seconds. Storm waved an arm and it quickly stopped. The two women looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Okay, practice it is, sugar," said Rogue.

Storm looked down at Beast's list, now rather bedraggled. "How long does the absorption of powers last?" she read out. "I should have started a stopwatch. Can you still feel the weather, Rogue?"

"Yes, but I don't dare _do_ anything in case I get us all wet. Wetter."

"I am not sure I could be any wetter," Storm responded. "Why not try again?" This time a gust of wind knocked her onto her back, closely followed by a snow shower around them, and then a tiny bank of fog surrounded them. Rogue's face went rapidly from fascination to frustration to laughter again. Storm sighed and waved the clouds away to warm them up with sunlight. "This could be a long afternoon."

 

====

 

By the end of the day, they had established that it consistently took three seconds for Rogue to absorb powers, and at least ten minutes to lose them again. It took a few more days for her to start getting control of the weather when she tried to change it. Both she and Storm struggled to put into words what it was they did when they changed the weather, and Storm struggled to explain how to change things. For Storm, calling changes aloud had been her way of focusing her attention on what she needed to happen, but the same approach didn't work for Rogue.

"I just don't use my words the same way," she said. "You _tell_ the weather what to do, I kind of have to ask it nicely in a roundabout fashion. Just like that, dear," she added to the small rain cloud forming overhead. "Now, could you just ... ooh very nicely done!" she added as a tiny lightning strike hit the ground to her side.

 

====

 

When Storm reported Rogue was gaining control over powers absorbed from her, Cyclops decided it was time he joined them. Control of his energy blasts was much easier to explain than the weather, and Rogue grasped it quickly. After the battle where Rogue used first Cyclops's energy blasts and then a well-timed bolt of lightning to defeat a Sentinel, both Jubilee and Gambit were keen to share their knowledge of their powers.

Wolverine didn't bother - "You've already got more strength and resilience than me, Red" - until he interrupted an argument between Storm and Rogue about following all the steps of Beast's research plan. 

The two women faced each other angrily in the infirmary as Wolverine wandered by.

"I am NOT putting you to sleep, Ororo," yelled Rogue. "I TOLD you I wouldn't hurt you."

"We need to know how long it takes, Rogue," responded Storm fiercely. "We need to know how long it takes to recover, so we can plan accordingly."

"We DON'T need to know because I'm NOT doing it!" Rogue yelled back.

"Why not try on me, Red," said Wolverine easily, leaning back against one of the beds. "You already did it to me back at the Mutant Control Agency, and I recovered just fine. This way, we get a bit more information."

"Knowledge is power, Rogue" added Storm.

Rogue looked back and forth between them, hesitating, before sighing. "Ok, you win, Logan. Now lie down on that bed while Storm gets the stopwatch. Before I change my mind."

 

====

 

They established that it took 10 seconds to send Wolverine to sleep, and about 15 minutes for him to recover. After more argument, Cyclops, Storm and Gambit all took their turn at being sent to sleep by a reluctant Rogue. It took 8 seconds for each of them and 20-30 minutes to recover. 

"No doubt due to Wolverine's mutant healing powers," said Storm. Wolverine grinned smugly, especially at Cyclops, who had taken longest to recover.

Rogue refused outright to test Jubilee. "It's bad enough with each of the adults, thinking I might really harm you if I get it wrong. I'm not risking Jubilee, not until she's fully grown." She also refused to work with either Jean or Professor X, not wanting even a short dose of telepathic powers.

 

====

 

After they had defeated Apocalypse, and were safely back at the mansion, Storm walked with Rogue to her room. "Did you want to be cured of your powers so much, my dear?"

"I don't any more."

"But you did. You must have been in a lot of pain when you went to Muir Island."

Rogue sighed. "I just wanted to be able to touch someone safely, without having to count off seconds in my head. I _liked_ Colossus, but I couldn't do anything about it, and then he went home anyway. And then Gambit kept flirting and reminding me what I can't have." She sighed again, then straightened her shoulders and blinked rapidly. "But then because of my powers I saved Jean; I saved Archangel; I can do a lot of good with my powers. A bit of personal disappointment along the way shouldn't matter." She looked straight at Storm, defying her to notice the wobble in her voice on the last sentence.

"It does matter, Rogue," was all Storm said, looking back at her so kindly. "You don't have to pretend it doesn't matter." Storm reached out, with gloved hands and long sleeves, and carefully folded Rogue into a close hug, her face against Storm's shoulder, the tears she couldn't hold back soaking into Storm's clothing. They stayed that way - safe, close - for a long time, until Rogue's tears had stopped.

"Thank you, Ororo," was all Rogue could manage when her crying fit was finally over. She felt drained and exhausted, and a little embarrassed. Storm brushed her forehead with the lightest of kisses. 

"Time you slept now, I think," she said, guiding Rogue towards her bed, and tucking a blanket over her. "You've been through so much recently."

"I suppose," responded Rogue sleepily.

"Have you considered," began Storm hesitantly, "that you can do quite a lot with 8 seconds at a time? With the right partner."

"Now you sound like Gambit," drawled Rogue. "I'm not putting any man through that, not even that strong and handsome young Russian. Don't make me throw you out of my car." Her eyes drooped closed again, hiding Storm's expression.

"Never. Now sleep," said Storm, bending down to brush another kiss against her forehead before leaving the room. The door closing behind her was the last thing Rogue heard before falling asleep.

====

It took a few days for Rogue to realise something was odd about Storm after that conversation. They were all busy with the aftermath of battling Apocalypse, so it maybe wasn't surprising that she didn't see much of Storm except when they were all working together. It was normal for Storm to be too busy for training, or shopping, or getting takeout, at least half the times Rogue casually suggested it. So it took Rogue a while to notice that Storm was just quietly, unobtrusively, never being alone with her.

Nothing else seemed to have changed. Storm was still warmly friendly, still her encouraging and supportive teammate. This was no pointed avoidance of the kind Rogue got heartily sick of growing up, when other girls had fallen out with her for some reason that she should have noticed. Storm was just ... never alone with her.

It took two weeks for Rogue to decide it wasn't a coincidence, and another week went by without her working out how to confront Storm about it. But then they were called out to defend a nearby town from earth-shaking mutants, and the two of them had a building dropped on them. 

Rogue instinctively covered Storm's body with her own and braced against the falling bricks and masonry. When the crashing was finally over, she blinked her eyes open - to see nothing but darkness. Below her she could hear Storm's breathing, fast and shallow, on the edge of panic.

"Storm! Rogue! Are you okay?" came Cyclops's voice over the communicator. She tapped her badge.

"Rogue here, I'm okay and I have Storm. She's alive."

"Stay there until we can finish here and move the rubble safely. There's a lot of building above you."

"I hear and obey, Cyclops. Try not to take too long without us, hey?"

The communicator clicked off. It seemed very quiet - the fighting outside was barely audible through the fallen rubble. Just Rogue and Storm's now _definitely_ panicked breathing.

"You with me, sugar?" asked Rogue, deliberately nonchalant.

"... Rogue ..." gasped Storm after a few seconds. "It's so dark! Oh no, no..."

"Stay with me, Storm. Breathe with me. We'll be ok, but there's too many floors on my back to get out of here just now." She got no answer but more fast shallow breathing. Very cautiously, Rogue moved her hand to explore the space they were in. Rubble surrounded them, pressed hard against her back, but in the space between her arms and legs, Storm lay safely. Physically safe, but terrified. Rogue stroked soothingly down Storm's head and along her cheek, stopping dead when Storm turned and kissed her gloved palm. 

"Well. I'd been going to ask why you've been avoiding me, sweetheart." 

"Rogue ..." began Storm.

"But I guess I know now. I am every kind of fool." She bent her head, just enough to brush Storm's forehead with one of those light kisses. "Shall we see what we can do, 8 seconds at a time?"

"You said ..." gasped Storm. "You said, you wouldn't put anyone through that."

"I said, any man. I was wrong anyway, but you're no man." She tried for Storm's mouth this time, a longer, firmer press of lips.

"You noticed."

"Hard to miss, sweetheart," said Rogue, daring for a third and longer kiss. She was pleased to note Storm's breathing was deeper now, less rapid. "This is one way to keep your claustrophobia at bay."

"Oh, is that why we're doing it?" said Storm, and Rogue could hear the smile in her voice.

"No, and you know it. Sweetheart."

The communicators crackled. "Storm, Rogue. We've stopped the attack and now we're working to free you. Shouldn't take long."

"Thanks, Cyclops," responded Storm, sounding almost normal. Rogue felt a swell of pride in her, laced with more than a bit of smugness in herself. She leaned down to kiss Storm again, her internal clock counting off 3, 4, 5 seconds before stopping. The familiar weather-awareness rose in her and she suddenly _felt_ the extent of the fallen building, the flow of the air around it. Without really thinking she conjured up a whirlwind to lift it off safely.

"Wait!" cried Storm but the whirlwind was already out of control in the tiny space, sending bricks and rubble flying in all directions. The weight on Rogue's back suddenly lifted and light flooded in, muffled by dust and rubble flying wildly everywhere. Their communicators squawked wildly as the other X-Men shouted in warning. Rogue sat back on her heels and helped Storm to a sitting position. 

Storm looked around quickly and called "Wind, come to me and clear this rubble away _safely_ ". The entire fallen building lifted to Storm's command and was deposited safely in a park across the street. Rogue smiled enviously at Storm's control, and then happily at Storm herself, whose arm seemed to have come around Rogue's waist, and Rogue's arm around her shoulders.

"You were right, sweetheart," she said. "An indoor whirlwind _is_ an advanced skill."

"You just need more practice," said Storm. "Lots and lots of practice." Her smile was very nearly hidden.

"I can live with that," said Rogue, not trying to hide her smile at all.


End file.
